Plastic Bags and Other Plastic Film Recycling

While soft plastics, or plastic films, can’t be recycled in our single-stream recycling, they are recyclable. When these soft plastics aren’t disposed of properly, they can jam recycling machines. Further, according to the United Nations, it's estimated that 8-10 million tons of plastic are released into our oceans each year. Much of this plastic is improperly disposed of plastic bags and other plastic films. While refusal, reduction, and reuse are the best options, we know that sometimes we find ourselves with single-use plastic films that need to be disposed. All you need to do is drop them off in one of the collection boxes around campus, and we’ll take it from there.

Where are the plastic film collection boxes/bins?

• Rethink Waste House/Spider Exchange

Westhampton Side

• Post Office
• Heilman Dining Center, outside of ETC
• Tyler Haynes Commons, 2nd floor (across from CSI)
• Physical Plant, Custodial Bay and Central Stores
• Gottwald Center for the Sciences, B100
• Queally Center, Office of Undergraduate Admission

Richmond Side

• Fountain Hall, 1st floor
• Richmond Hall, 1st floor
• Maryland Hall, ground floor kitchen
• Carole Weinstein International Center, 3rd floor
• Robins School of Business, Robbins Tower
• Jepson Hall, ground floor near the bathrooms/Help Desk

What can be recycled in the plastic film collection boxes? 

Please note that plastic needs to be clean and dry.

• Plastic shopping bags
• Bread bags
• Bubble wrap
• Air pillows (used for shipping or packaging)
• Dry cleaning bags
• Newspaper sleeves
• Bubble mailers
• Ice bags
• Ziploc and other reclosable plastic food bags
• Produce bags
• Cereal bags
• Pallet wrap
• Case overwrap